1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wide-mouth blow-molded plastic containers, and more particularly to such containers that are not only suited for hot-fill applications, but also for applications in which not-from-concentrate chilled juices must be shelved for extended periods of time.
2. Related Art
In the manufacture of blow molded plastic bottles for containing liquids such as beverages, it is customary to utilize an injection-molded preform having a threaded finish which forms the threaded finish of the container blown from the preform. The preform may be injection molded from a variety of desirable plastic materials, with a currently particularly preferred material being polyethylene terephythalate (PET).
In hot-fill applications, i.e., applications where the blown container is filled with a liquid at a temperature in excess of 180° F. (82° C.), capped immediately after filling, and allowed to cool to ambient temperatures, vacuum absorption panels are generally provided in the body of the container to accommodate vacuum induced shrinkage resulting from the cooling of the container contents. In such containers, the injection molded threaded finish undergoes a minimal amount of distortion in the hot-fill process. Hot-fill containers molded of PET by this technique have found widespread acceptance in the marketplace.
For quite some time, there has been a need in the marketplace for a so-called wide-mouth container for hot-fill applications. A wide-mouth container enables the consumer to scoop-out contents which are not readily flowable. In the early 1980's, attempts were made to produce hot-fillable PET containers having wide-mouths. Manufacturing technique and resulting containers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,496,064; 4,618,515; and 4,665,682.
For reasons not fully known, these wide-mouth containers were not successful in the marketplace. There is a current need for a hot-fillable wide-mouth container, which is particularly suited for packaging viscous products, such as applesauce and the like. Moreover, there is a current need for a cold-fillable wide-mouth container for packaging not-from-concentrate chilled juices, which must be shelved for extended periods of time.
Traditionally, “not-from-concentrate chilled juices” (i.e., juices which are flash-heated to pasteurize them immediately after the fruit is squeezed) have been contained in paper cartons or glass containers and are usually found in the dairy section of grocery stores. Certain manufacturers have more recently packed such not-from-concentrate chilled juices in 1.75-liter (59-oz) PET containers shaped like carafes. For example, the Simply Orange™ (a trademark of the Coca-Cola Company, Atlanta, Ga.) not-from-concentrate chilled orange juice has been packaged in an injection/stretch blow molded container manufactured in a two-stage process by Schmalbach-Lubeca Plastic Containers.
Typically, a “carafe” is a wide-mouth bottle that is used for serving wine, water or other beverages. The Simply Orange™ carafe, however, comprises a narrow-mouth, injection-molded finish with a cap configured to look like a wide-mouth carafe. Similar containers have been manufactured for the dairy industry, including by the assignee of the present invention. It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a wide-mouth container for not-from-concentrate chilled juices and the like, which is truly a carafe and is also adapted for cold-fill applications.
A particularly persistent problem in the manufacture of plastic containers is known in the industry as “lightweighting.” Typically, lightweighting involves redesigning a package to use less plastic material, which also tends to make it weigh less. Manufacturers continue to develop new technologies that enable them to reduce the amount of PET resin needed to make a bottle without compromising performance. These efforts are extremely important in reducing manufacturing costs because PET resin accounts for a significant portion of the cost of a finished bottle. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a wide-mouth plastic container for not-from-concentrate chilled juices and the like, which is a true carafe, is adapted for cold-fill applications, and is lighter than similar packages known in the prior art.